


Pop 101

by YourGirlThursday



Category: 12 Monkeys (TV)
Genre: 12 Monkeys Theme Week, F/M, Missing Scene, gratuitous pop culture references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-08
Updated: 2015-04-08
Packaged: 2018-03-21 21:50:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3705705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourGirlThursday/pseuds/YourGirlThursday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were some days when Aaron was a helpful and productive member of Team Splinter. Today was not one of those days. </p><p>(For Theme Week - Day 3: Missing Scene)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pop 101

**Author's Note:**

> So this fits in somewhere after Aaron joins the team, but before the Chechnya business. Inspired by two things: 1) the Marty McFly reference Aaron makes and Cole's adorable confusion and 2) Dr. Jones' name. This is also the lead-in for my story for Day 4.
> 
> Title is a song by Marianas Trench. I am the worst at naming things :)
> 
> Spoilers for The Terminator and Casablanca at the end.

There were some days when Aaron was a helpful and productive member of Team Splinter. Today was not one of those days.

Today he was annoying the shit out of Cole.

Aaron did this thing where he brought up things Cole had never heard of. Cassie called it a ‘pop cultural reference.’ Cole could tell any time one was made. Aaron’s voice had a completely different tone to it like he was making some kind of joke. The problem was that Cassie was the only one who understood them. She usually explained them so Cole didn’t feel left out, which was nice but still.

So far they were up to about twenty references in the hour since Cole had splintered in.

It’s a good thing this Bat Cave has heat.

Shame we can’t just drop the virus into Mt. Doom.

Thanks, MacGuyver.

I’d like to phone a friend.

Cassie had stopped trying to explain and just ignored whatever joke had been made. She seemed to be just as irritated, which made Cole feel better. Cassie eventually sent Aaron to the grocery store with some cash and a long list of things to pick up for dinner. As soon as he was gone, Cassie sat down across the table from Cole.

“I’m so sorry. He’s not doing it on purpose. That’s just how he talks,” she explained.

Cole shrugged. Feelings weren’t something he paid attention to usually. “Not a big deal, Cassie. Jones does it all the time. She's always talking about these dead guys she worked with."

Cassie folded her arms on the table then rested her head on them. "Is she a good storyteller?"

"Sort of? She usually does it to point out something we did wrong," Cole said with a shrug.

Cassie pressed her lips together. She started to say something, then stopped. Her fingers drummed along the tabletop.

"Could you tell me one anyway?" Cassie finally asked.

It dawned on Cole that Cassie was once again pumping him for information. He was relieved that she had shifted her focus to Jones and away from him. It made her request much easier to fulfill.

"I don't think she'd like me telling you too much about the future." As Cassie's face fell, Cole felt himself give in. "Jones does have a lot of stories about her husband’s grandfather. He lived before your time so I don't think she'd get mad if I talked about him. He was some kind of professor of old things.”

“Was his first name Indiana?” Cassie joked.

Cole frowned. “Yeah. You mean she wasn’t blowing smoke up our asses when she said he was famous?”

Cassie laughed. As much as Cole loved that sound, he felt like he was missing out on the joke. He squirmed in his chair while Cassie continued to shake with laughter.

“Give me a second.”

Cassie got up from the table and grabbed her laptop. She typed something in then spun the computer around for Cole to see.

“Indiana Jones is a movie character,” Cassie explained gently.

Cole watched the screen in dismay. A man in a brown hat ran around looking serious and punching things while a voice talked about the Ark of the Covenant. Cole wasn't sure what he was more pissed about: being lied to or looking like an idiot in front of Cassie.

"I can't believe her," he said.

Cassie toyed with a pen on the table. "Maybe she thought she was helping by giving you guys someone to look up to. She probably thought you'd never find out. This way you guys had a hero even if he wasn't real."

The idea that his time had no heroes rankled Cole. Sure, the future was bleak and all, but there were some good people.

Cole scoffed. "There were tons of other guys. We have Doctor Brown. He hit his head on a sink and got the idea for the thing that makes time travel possible. Charles Xavier created a place for the immune scientists to come together. It got blown up, but Jones was there a while. Jon Snow saved hundreds of lives when the Great Winter came."

Cassie blinked rapidly at Cole. He could tell from her expression that at least one of those men wasn't real. Knowing his luck, all of them weren't. "I don't know what to say, Cole."

Curiosity made him want to ask more about these not so real men, but Cole wasn't sure his pride could take it. After a moment of debate he decided he needed to know more.

"Darryl Dixon?" He asked, already dreading the answer. Those stories had been his favorite ones.

Cassie shook her head. "Television. Don't tell Aaron what happens to him though. He still watches that show."

Cole's heart sank. He tried to go over more names in his head. There were two that stood out to him.

"Jones used to compare me to other guys, but I think they were the travelers before me. The only ones I remember are Kyle Reese and Rick Blaine."

Cassie took off her glasses. She cleaned the lenses while she thought things over. "They both sound vaguely familiar, but they're such a common sounding names so I don't know."

Cole nodded. He was about to say something else when Cassie's phone rang. She rolled her eyes before answering it. It sounded like Aaron was having trouble with the grocery shopping. When he returned, Cole made it his mission to annoy him. For every pop cultural reference Aaron made, Cole used two slang words from his time. Only about half of them were real, but that was what made it so much fun.

* * *

 

The following week Cassie took the night off from work and Aaron. She ordered takeout and poured herself a very large glass of wine. Two movies from her personal collection, The Terminator and Casablanca, sat there mocking her. She'd hated to lie to Cole, but how could she explain these characters to him? One gave up his life for his love (and the future of the world) and the other gave up his love for the world. Cassie hoped there would be a third option where they would save the world and get to keep each other.

**Author's Note:**

> And if all goes according to plan you guys get to read all about my Kyle Reese feelings tomorrow :)


End file.
